Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-10-13
AT THE HANDS OF FATE.
'sIsn't she beautiful, Godfrey?"

isn't she beautiful, Godfrey"
VERY beautiful
'sLet me take you over and introduce
you. She is attractive in mind as in
person; YOU will be charmed with her .
81 would rather fall under no spell,
my sweet cousin, SO permit me to re-
tire unclaimed. am not the sort OF
man your friend would care to waste
ten minutes on. charitable though she
! might be towards all of my short
comings. | must go now; you will not
mind. will you?"
''Of course I'll mind Why, the sup
per won't be served for an hour vet.
You must, at least, remain until after
supper"
Godfrey Lamer looked down ct his
cousins pretty pouting face, then
from it to the face of his cousins guest
and friend.
Alight with mirth, fair as a flower,
was the face he looked on.
My dear cousin" he said gravely to
| Mercy Lamcr, .'this is your ball, and
the first at which [ have appeared in
| three years. If / remain longer, a
| little child, on whom | said I would
| look in at midnight may die before
sunrise. | am man in whose hands
are placed human lives. Mercy. Shall
| neglect those lives to dance at your
bail, and whisper some civil words to
Miss Valerie Blair?'
The fair girlsh face was little paler
as he ceased speaking; but Mercy only
put out her hand.
''Good-night, Cousin Godfrey" was
II Il I, L
mitted him to 90.
An hour afterwards, Valerie Blair
drew Mercy aside
us it true that your cousin, DR..
Lamer, declined an introduction to me
tonight" she asked, with a certain eX-
preston in her gray eyes which might
be either annoyance or pain. Guy
Jerrold told me he overheard it. Is
that true, Mercy?"
Not quite true as repeated to you,
fear was Mercys soft answer; s.but
he said you would not care to waste
ten minutes on him; and besides, a
cbild-one of his patients needed
him. You are not angry at Godfrey,
Valerie? SO want you two to be
friends"
Angry! no; but l fear that DR..
Laner and | will never be friends. j
know him It's an earnest noble man; he
thinks me but a soulless butterfly; and
SO tbs best, perhaps"
With light laugh she shook out her
white draperies, and laid her hand on
the arm of a partner who had just come
for her.
Meanwhile, the young physician had
taken a cab. and gone from the ball to
q far more humble part of the city;
there he dismissed the cab and entered
a tenement, from an upper window of
which a light sent a mild glow from
uncurtained panes.
With light, quick steps he mounted
the stairs-three flights of them; then,
tapping gently on a door was adj
mitted to an abode of poverty and
misery.
IN the corner Of the room man lay
on q bed, ever and anon coughing,
with that horrible cough peculiar TO
consumption. In chair beside the
tire-for there was a fire-sat q pale
sad-eyed woman, holding an infant in
her arms, and rocking it gently.
At glance. DR.. Lamer saw that
many changes had been wrought in
that pitiful home since he had crossed
its threshold last
On the bed was heavy quilt, quite
new; on the table were a number of
paper parcels and some bottles OF wine.
The chair in which the woman sat was
an easy-rocker and had entered there
in his absence; about the baby WAS
wrapped a soft warm shawl.
How is the little one," he asked
bending over it.
For answer the mother burst into
low but passionate sobs.
.Dying-dying, doetor!' she said
hoarsely, barring the small pinched
face on her bosom, that he might see
its ashen pallor.
And he saw that she had told him
the truth.
land you are all alone?" he said
p;tifully. SIS there no friend-no
woman who would stay here Tonight"
Il have no friend; l know nobody;
none are kind to the poor, Doctor
none but beautiful girl who came like
an angel after you had gone. She was
on her way to a ball, but she stayed
here almost an hour, and said she
would come again in the morning. She
sent me so many things, but too
late too late! Poor Jack is worse, and
baby-baby!'
She moaned out the word in such q
way that Godfrey Lamers eyes grew
dim as he listened
How sad," he thought, 'swhen in
this city there are women, SO delicate
and heart-sick, to think that other
-rnrnnn who cniils II and cnnafnrt